I was going to
talk about the lessons to be learned about Free Trade
from an understanding of the Corn Laws, the Irish Potato
Famine, Vested Interest, the Iron Law of Oligarchy,
Populism, the current problems facing the Canadian
Liberal Party and why facts are the opposite to wishes.
It was going to be a long, soothing explanation that
would totally defy the classically elitist codswallop of
the now redundant US TPP Negotiators who did insist that
the proposed Pacific Rim Treaty was a little like
Climate Change, too complicated for the man on the
street corner to even begin to understand. But suddenly
I felt as though I was an Uncle, or maybe a Great Aunt,
or at least a God Parent of some sort, conceivably a
Hospital Porter. And I'll tell you why. While enduring
the morning chores the first Tree Swallow fledged.
Engaged as I was with truly sour and possibly elitist
thoughts of my own I didn't actually see it fledge, but
there he was on the electric line, admiring his wings,
wondering when and how large his tail feathers would
grow as he waited for his parental side to pop something
tasty in his mouth.

"How
do you know it was a he?" Simple, with birds I work on
the WRT (white republican theory), the first to fledge
is the greediest, biggest, whiniest and least
attractive, the others just can't wait to get rid of
him. And if you don't believe me, through the course of
the mid morning three more Tree Swallows fledged and
they gently gathered to preen on the electric line, each
little creature a sociable distance between them, and
all three a good five to six yards away from he who
fledged first. A blissful sight for a Sunday. But of
lessons learned there's one wish and one sad fact. I
wish no matter their personal reasons, Tree Swallows
wouldn't fledge in the mid-day. And the sad fact is that
I'm still struggling with sun blindness, a few shivers
from lack of water and overheating, a bit of a headache,
blocked sinus and a general sense of exhaustion which
having a late lunch does absolutely nothing to
ameliorate. But on the bright side I can say with a
degree of confidence that enduring fledging pains
however they arise is right and proper, and perfectly
natural. Of interest, and a little depressing, when the
time comes Girl Swallows are inclined toward pairing
with Boy Swallows who have the longest and most
glamorous tail feathers.